enuine
Westerner. That's what I missed most when at school in the East, at
Bryn Mawr--space. I wanted my big mountains and wide mesa and long,
restful views. And how I galloped on my pony through the sagebrush
when I came back during summer vacations!"

The recollection set her eyes glistening.

"You still do it when you return from a trip, I'll venture to say,"
Lee stated, marking the glow of her face.

"Yes, I do. Almost the very first thing. It clears my brain of city
noise and sights and grime. It soothes my nerves. Nothing does that
like our keen air with its scent of sagebrush."

"Then I should see you riding up my way soon."

"Oh, I'll certainly want to follow the progress of your work, Mr.
Bryant. With father's teams working for you, I'll feel as if we had a
part in the race." After a pause she proceeded, "The contractor's
outfit went up and you were just starting the dam and excavation about
the time I went East. Father mentioned in a letter to me that he had
dropped in at your camp once or twice when at Bartolo."

"Yes, I showed him what we were doing. We've had other visitors
occasionally. Miss Gardner and Miss Martin--at Sarita Creek, you
remember--come at times. Miss Martin is a niece of Mr. McDonnell, of
Kennard."

"So Mrs. McDonnell told me. Just before I left I called at their
cabins again. But I had no more luck that time than the first; they
were away somewhere. Well," she concluded, with a smile, "perhaps the
third time will win; that's the rule. I'll go another time soon."

"You'll like them, I'm sure. They're both charming, I think. Unusual
girls."

"I'll go soon," she repeated.

"My desire possibly will be understood by you," said he, after a
slight hesitation, "when I say that Miss Gardner and I are engaged to
be married. So it would please me immensely if you two became good
friends."

Louise Graham showed some surprise. But this immediately changed to
smiling interest.

"Accept my congratulations, Mr. Bryant," she said. "You may count on
our being friends. Hereafter she and Miss Martin must come to our
ranch whenever they will. I suppose they ride up where you are nearly
every day; Miss Gardner, in particular, must be tremendously devoted
to your project and now tremendously excited, too, over your race
against time. Who wouldn't be, in her place!"

"Naturally," said Lee, with all the heartiness he could muster in his
voice. But to himself, at least, his tone rang hollow.

Wh